Soda gun dispensers are used throughout the restaurant and bar industry. The dispenser allows restaurants, namely bartenders, to quickly pour mixed drinks or other beverages to patrons. A typical soda dispenser, also referred to as a soda gun, includes multiple beverage selection buttons, each of which provides the bartender access to a different liquid beverage.
For instance, a soda gun dispenser's buttons may include carbonated beverages, non-carbonated beverages, wine, water, fruit juices, and other common beverages. This wide array of beverage selections allow a bartender to quickly pour a single or mixed drink to a patron, oftentimes mixed with a liquor. Bartenders are in high demand during peak hours, such as “happy hour”. Due to the fast paced nature of the bar and restaurant atmosphere, along with the peak demand at certain post work and nightclub times, the soda gun dispenser is used frequently and quickly by bartenders.
Presently, a soda gun dispenser, when not being used by the bartender, is placed in a holder that is attached to the bar countertop. To allow the bartender easy access to the soda gun dispenser, the holder is often attached to the inside of the bar countertop, i.e. behind the bar, within arms reach of the bartender. The nozzle of the dispenser, where the beverage is dispensed from, is placed into a cup in the holder.
The location for the dispenser holder on countertops differs from restaurant to restaurant and bar to bar. Presently, dispenser holders are secured to bar countertops by screwing the holder to the underside of the countertop. Screws are used to affix the dispenser holder to a bar countertop. Although screws can be removed, this method of attachment permanently damages the countertop and creates a permanent mounting location to the bar countertop. The holder is mounted to the countertop at an optimal location and oftentimes never removed, unless the holder needs to be replaced. Given the frequent use of the soda gun and the repeated placement of the soda gun, with dripping liquids on the nozzle, into the dispenser holder, there is a need for a better dispenser holder and drip cup that can be removed from the bar countertop.
Presently, pilot holes are drilled into the countertop to attach the holder to the countertop. This provides a path for the screws to travel into the countertop, which helps to prevent splitting or fracturing of the countertop during installation. Historically, countertops were made from a variety of wood materials. Drilling holes into wood to install the holder with screws was quite common and poses no significant hurdles for the installer. However, more and more restaurants and bars are moving away from wood countertops towards more elegant granite, marble, and quartz materials, to name a few.
As the bartender finishes using the soda dispenser, liquid remains on the nozzle of the dispenser. When the dispenser is placed into the dispenser holder, the excess liquid on the nozzle splashes around the dispenser holder. Although there is a drain in the dispenser holder drip cup to remove this excess liquid, the drain or drip cup itself is often clogged. Present drip cups are difficult to remove. This causes an accumulation of liquid in the dispenser holder. This excess liquid pours over the holder and accumulates on the countertop surface, particularly the underneath portion of the countertop. The excess liquid also drips below the dispenser holder, often into the ice box below used to store ice that the bartender uses to mix drinks. Oftentimes, it is more effective to replace the entire dispenser holder when the drip cup is dirty, clogged, or growing mold.
Unfortunately, the accumulation of liquid on wood and similar absorbent countertop materials creates an unsanitary condition over time. The stagnant liquid, especially for inaccessible and non-visible locations, results in moisture accumulation and ultimately mildew, if left unchecked. Mildew and the resulting mold, in a restaurant setting, creates major health and sanitary issues for the restaurant. Health inspectors issue citations and/or fines for such unsanitary conditions where food and beverages are served to the public. In extreme circumstances, unsanitary conditions can result in restaurants being closed by the local health inspector.
Since current dispenser holders are screwed into the countertop and rarely, if ever, removed for cleaning, mildew persists unchecked for extensive periods of time. Moreover, a vast number of dispenser holders are located immediately above the ice box, where bartenders scoop ice for drink preparation. Needless to say, the dripping of mildew contaminated liquid into an ice reservoir, the contents of which are placed directly into beverage glasses, is a major sanitary hazard. Presently, there is no simple way to removably attach a dispenser holder to an ice box to prevent the dispenser holder from being mounted on the countertop above the ice box, where mildew can grow and migrate into the ice box.
The current trend in restaurants and bars, especially upscale locations catering to high end clientele, is to use high end materials for bar countertops. Instead of wood materials, new restaurants and remodeled restaurants are using granite, marble, quartz, and similar high quality materials to create an elegant experience for patrons. These materials are more resistant to water absorption, which reduces the impact of mold and bacteria formation.
However, mounting a soda dispenser holder onto these surfaces creates installation problems. Marble and similarly hard, brittle surfaces break easily under pressure, like that of a drill bit used to pre-drill pilot holes for mounting screws. Attempting to install a dispenser holder into these types of countertop materials creates a high risk for significant damage to the countertop. As a result, numerous dispenser gun installers choose not to install the dispenser holder directly onto the countertop to avoid damaging the expensive countertop. Alternatively, a piece of wood is permanently affixed to the underside of a high end countertop to allow the dispenser holder to be attached using conventional screw fasteners without directly impacting the non-wood countertop material. Although this solves the mounting problem, the use of wood does not reduce or eliminate the proliferation of mold and other bacteria under the countertop and near food preparation areas, e.g. the ice box.
As can be derived from the variety of devices and methods directed at holding a soda gun dispenser onto a bar countertop, many means have been contemplated to accomplish the desired end, i.e., screwing the holder directly to the countertop. Heretofore, tradeoffs between adjustability and cleanliness were required. Thus, there is a long-felt need for a movable soda gun dispenser holder to allow for cleaning and repositioning. There is a further long-felt need for an adjustable mounting mechanism to attach the dispenser holder to a countertop or ice box without damaging the mounting surface itself.